There are two types of garlic: spring and winter. Each of them has individual differences. Winter crops typically lose their juiciness and beneficial properties over time, but spring garlic does not change this way. That is why many summer residents prefer this variety and ask the question: how to grow large summer garlic?
Spring garlic or winter?
Winter garlic is planted in late autumn, and in the spring, during its last dates, the harvest is harvested. Growing garlic crop does not cause any difficulties, while it gives high yields. Winter varieties that are planted in the winter are characterized by a loss of juiciness. This crop will ripen by summer, at the moment when housewives begin to actively make preparations. By the autumn period, winter garlic dries out.
Summer residents plant spring garlic in the spring, namely in its initial period. These varieties are not distinguished by large yields, but are characterized by long shelf life. The beneficial qualities and characteristics of spring crops are preserved for 12 months.
There are a number of other differences between winter crops and spring crops. Winter crops are characterized by:
- the presence of no more than 10 cloves in the onion;
- releasing arrows with aerial bulbs necessary for propagation;
- the lobules are arranged in 1 row;
- reproduces by aerial seeds;
- short shelf life.
Spring varieties differ in that:
- the bulb can have up to 30 segments;
- they have no arrows, with the exception of the Gulliver variety;
- the teeth are arranged in a spiral, while in the central part the sizes decrease;
- they reproduce by cloves;
- they have a long shelf life.
With timely planting and proper care, summer garlic is stored until the next harvest.
Boarding time
To get a good harvest of spring garlic, it must be planted in the ground on time. In order for the crop to develop a full-fledged bulb over the summer period, it should be planted in early spring. These varieties have good frost resistance, so they can be planted without fear of spring frosts.The optimal time for planting is the period when the soil temperature reaches 5 degrees Celsius.
The need for early planting of the crop is due to the fact that the plant develops its root system well only at low temperatures and humidity. During this same period, leaves begin to actively form.
If planting is delayed, the amount of harvest will be sharply reduced, since at elevated temperatures the root system and leaves slow down their formation due to the development of the bulb. Summer residents have developed a pattern that the better the leaves and root system are formed before the temperature rises, the larger the bulbs will be. That is why growing spring garlic in open ground requires adherence to planting dates.
Preparing the site for planting
Before asking the question: when to plant spring garlic in open ground, you need to know how to prepare the planting site. This is necessary so that the culture can form full-fledged bulbs. To do this, it is recommended to know a few nuances:
- the top layer of soil is very important for the plant, since its roots are located shallow;
- the soil must have a neutral acidity level;
- the soil should be enriched with loam and humus;
- In order for the harvest to be rich, you should choose illuminated areas as a planting site that protect the crop from the wind;
- if the summer cottage is located in wet areas, the beds should be formed high;
- If garlic was previously grown in this place, it should wait 5 years before the next planting.
Before planting summer garlic, the site should be prepared in the fall. The first step is to dig up the ground and add humus or compost to it.It is also recommended to add ash and complex mineral fertilizers. The best proportions are considered to be 10 grams of the composition per 1 square meter.
How to plant spring garlic?
Planting and caring for spring garlic requires compliance with several rules. After the onset of spring, the soil prepared in advance is loosened, the soil is moistened, and then the cloves are placed in it. If the soil is moist enough, you should not add excess water, as garlic does not like it. When the soil is too wet, planting should be delayed until it reaches the desired consistency. If this rule is not followed, garlic planted in moist soil will be susceptible to damage by putrefactive pathologies.
Also, some nuances must be observed when replanting planting material in the ground:
- Sufficient space must be left between plant crops for the development of the root system and provision of nutrition: a gap of 25–30 centimeters must be maintained between the beds, and 8 between the cloves.
- The cloves should be positioned so that their upper part does not go deeper than 20 millimeters, otherwise the development of the bulbs may be delayed.
- After planting, the breasts are mulched with peat, straw and hay, which prevent the formation of crusts, the appearance of weeds, retain moisture, and such treatment allows you to loosen the soil less often.
It is necessary to plant spring garlic in open ground by sorting small and large cloves. This approach to planting simplifies harvesting and caring for the plant. Also, many summer residents recommend planting large segments separately for bulbs, and small ones for greens.
Preparation of planting material
To prepare garlic for planting, you need to pay attention to its storage method. If the preparations were stored at room temperature, then the plant crop will have a long growing season, but the bulbs will be round, large, but not completely ripe.
If the cloves have been subjected to cold storage, the growing season will be shorter, which will promote rapid ripening. In this case, the size of the bulbs will be small.
To obtain a high yield, garlic is grown using planting material stored in both ways. To do this, it is recommended to follow the instructions:
- If the garlic has been stored at room temperature, it should be cooled in the refrigerator 2 months before planting. It is worth considering that the larger the head, the longer it should remain in the cold.
- The bulbs are disassembled before planting at a time when the lower part has not yet had time to dry.
- Only large and whole material is selected for sowing. For this, it is recommended to use only the best large varieties: such material will allow you to get a high yield.
- The slices are cleaned of excess husks.
To increase productivity, it is recommended to use growth stimulants.
Stimulating seed growth
Growing spring garlic sometimes requires the use of growth stimulants for seed. These drugs accelerate the ripening of bulbs, increase productivity, and also affect the active growth of roots on the cloves. To stimulate the growth of teeth, you must follow step-by-step recommendations:
- The cloves are placed in water or a weak manganese solution for 2–3 hours.
- The material is wrapped in a damp cloth, and then placed in cellophane and in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. At this time, roots will begin to form and grow.
- The resulting material tolerates planting well in the ground if it has been carefully removed from cellophane and fabric.
There is another way to stimulate the growth of teeth. Before planting, the cloves can be fertilized. The material is soaked in a lukewarm solution made from 10 liters of water and 5 grams of Nitroammophoska. After using such watering and fertilizers, the cloves can be immediately planted in the ground.
Care
There are several rules for caring for spring garlic that must be followed if you want to obtain a rich harvest. Before the onset of July, the plant crop needs moisture, since at this moment the leaves are growing. If there is not enough moisture, the leaves will begin to dry out at the edges. When such a symptom appears, water the plant.
In August, summer garlic needs to be watered less as the bulb begins to form. Gradually, watering stops completely. This is due to the fact that excess moisture will slow down the ripening of the bulbs and reduce the amount of useful substances accumulating in them. Also, excess moisture will affect the shelf life of the crop, significantly reducing it.
The soil should be loosened regularly to provide the crop with oxygen. There are no other instructions regarding planting care. But many summer residents claim that fed summer garlic produces a larger harvest. Therefore, it is recommended to fertilize at different stages of plant development.
Does the crop need fertilizing?
Fertilizing spring garlic is required taking into account the information:
- nitrogenous fertilizers are applied during the formation of leaves on the crop; suitable for feeding: a warm solution of bird droppings, herbal infusions, mullein, mineral mixtures;
- during the period of leaf formation, in the absence of the necessary fertilizers, you can simply distribute humus over the beds;
- 2 weeks after applying the first fertilizing, fertilization is carried out with a liquid complex composition: during this period, spring garlic begins to bolt;
- During the period of active ripening of the bulbs, there is no need to apply fertilizers.
All fertilizers should be applied together with watering. It is prohibited to use fresh manure as a fertilizer, as it can cause the development of crop diseases and reduce the shelf life of the crop.
The nuances of getting a good harvest
In order for a summer resident to be satisfied with the harvest, he should know about several subtleties that allow him to achieve such indicators. One of the most important factors in increasing yield is choosing the right variety of garlic. This is due to the fact that for the formation of bulbs a temperature exceeding 21 degrees is required, and for ripening - 25. In some regions, such ambient temperatures are rare, so you should immediately select varieties that ripen at lower temperatures. Also, under such conditions, it is necessary to use a fertilizer that stimulates growth.
If the heat in the region does not last long, you can intensify the process of crop ripening if you remove the bulbs a little from the soil in mid-August or trim some of the roots. Such manipulation will provoke disruption of root function, slow down growth, and the crop will direct all its forces to the formation and maturation of the bulb. Garlic leaves can be tied in knots to speed up ripening.
When should you tie garlic arrows into a knot? It is recommended to do this manipulation with spring garlic in mid-August.
Many summer residents say: I renew my garlic every year. This means that bulbs from the new harvest should be used for planting next year.In this case, they should be planted in a different place. You can return to your original garden bed after 5 years.
Harvesting garlic
If you ensure proper planting in open ground and care for spring garlic, it will be possible to harvest until mid-September. A signal that it is possible to begin harvesting is when the lower leaves dry out and turn yellow.
To increase the period storage of spring garlic, after harvesting, the bulbs should be left in the garden bed, and then transferred to dry under a shed or left in the attic. The heads dry in bags or on a horizontal surface. Tying garlic into bunches is also allowed.
The harvested crop should be stored in a dry, cool room or in a refrigerator or basement. It is strictly forbidden to keep it in the open sun, as this will significantly shorten the shelf life of garlic.
Pests and diseases
There are several diseases that can affect a planted crop under certain environmental conditions. Thus, high humidity, lack of crop rotation, and improper storage of crops can cause the development of:
- rust;
- mold;
- bacterial rot;
- fusarium.
The presence of pathologies can be recognized by the general symptoms, which include drying of the leaves, the appearance of spots on them, rotting of the foliage and bulbs, and too light color of the garlic scales.
The most common pests that attack garlic crops are onion fly larvae and nematodes. In August, spring garlic needs special care, since it is during this period that it is attacked by pests. In a greenhouse, diseases and pests most often appear due to lack of ventilation and high humidity, so every summer resident must promptly prevent the occurrence of pathologies and treat them.
